TWO MONTHS after the Maur bomb blast, 13-year-old Ankush Insa, a Dera Sacha Sauda follower, succumbed to injuries on Friday. Having suffered 60 per cent burns, he died of multiple organ failure at Dayanand Medical College and Hospital (DMCH) in Ludhiana on the intervening night of March 30 and 31. The boy’s family, however, took the body from Ludhiana and sat on dharna at the blast site at Maur Mandi, demanding the arrest of the culprits apart from seeking hike in compensation. The boy’s body was placed at the dharna site itself. Although talks were on between Maur Bomb Blast Action Committee (MBBAC), Dera Sacha Sauda Action Committee and the district administration, they remained inconclusive till the time of filing this report. The government has so far given only Rs 5 lakh each as compensation to the families of those killed. Dr Sanjeev Uppal, doctor at DMCH, said, “Ankush was never out of danger. Though he had started talking to his family members in between, he had deep burns which led to multiple organ failure thereby resulting in his death.” A Class VIII student, Ankush was admitted to DMCH on the night of January 31. But the other two patients – Amrik Singh and Jaswinder Singh – also admitted to DMCH after the blast, are recovering, said Uppal.

Ankush’s uncle Gyan Chand Insa told The Indian Express, “As the boy died early in the morning, we got the post-mortem done at Talwandi Sabo Government Hospital. After that, we all sat on dharna as nothing has been done in this case till now while seven persons, including five children, have died.” Information revealed that when the blast occurred, just after the rally of Congress candidate Harminder Singh Jassi on January 31, no fire tender came as there is no fire station at Maur. People used water and mud to douse the flames. Doctors revealed that mud is a major reason for the spreading of infection in deep burn injuries.

Meanwhile, the political arm of Dera Sacha Sauda joined the dharna at Maur in which Balraj Singh Insa, Bhola Singh Insa and many others were also present. Gurmail Singh, convener of the MBBAC, said, “It is indeed painful to hear the death of yet another victim. We are demanding compensation worth Rs 1 crore each for families of those killed apart from a job and Rs 10 lakh each for the injured.”